Projector for game pieces



March 20, 1956 5 um; 2,738,783

PROJECTOR FOR GAME PIECES Filed April 23, 1951 Fig-3 r /3a Inez E. Cline IN V EN TOR.

BY WWW 3M United States 4 Patent PROJECTOR FOR GAME PIECES Inez E. Cline, Battle Creek, Mich. Application April 23, 1951, Serial No. 222,399

' 3 Claims. (Cl. 124-26) The present invention relates to improvements in game apparatus, and more particularly to a game apparatus which is adapted for manufacture for use indoors or outof-doors.

An object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus of improved structure whereby projectiles can be engaged on projector means which is slidably supported by the edge portion of a gameboard and wherein the projector post of the projector is angularly adjustable, whereby the projectiles can be discharged from the projector post for flight onto the target area of the gameboard.

Another object of the present invention resides in the novel construction of the projector means whereby rotational movement can be imparted to a projectile as it is discharged from the projector post, thereby giving greater lift to the projectile during its trajectory onto the playing surface of the gameboard.

A still further object of the, present invention resides in the provision of a novel means for propelling a projectile from the projector post, that being a bifurcated plate 7 adapted to receive the projector post within the bifurcated portion thereof and having a coiled torsion spring associated therewith for normally urging the bifurcated plate to project a projectile from the projector post.

Various other objects and advantages will become apparent from the detailed description to follow. The best forms in which I have contemplated applying my invention are clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view illustrating a portion of a gameboard and supporting table employing projecting means which constitutes the game apparatus of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view of the projector illustrating the mounting for the projector post together with the relationship of the spring biased projecting plate;

Figure 3 is a top plan view of the projector of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a detailed sectional view illustrating the construction of the projectile disk together with the relationship to the post to impart a rotational movement to the disk as it is projected.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout, the numeral designates generally the game apparatus of the present invention which is adapted to be employed in combination with a card table or the like.

The game apparatus 10 includes a flat, substantially rectangular board 14 providing a playing surface and which board is adapted to be positioned on the upper surface of the card table top 16, corner brackets 18 being employed for securing the flat board 14 for movement relative to the table top 16.

The front rectangular board 14 is divided into distinguishable areas 20 and 22 which may be of different colors if desired. The area 22 is disposed centrally of the gameboard 14 and provided with a plurality of targets 24 which may be disposed on the upper surface of the gameboard 14 in preselected relation.

Projecting means generally designated by the numeral 26 is disposed in the area 20 alongside the area 22 of the gameboard 14 for discharging projectiles generally designated by the numeral 28 onto and towards the targets 24 wherein the targets may be considered captured when the projectile 28 lands on the same.

Each of the projectiles 28 is in the form of a circular disk 30 having an annular upwardly and inwardly turned peripheral edge 32 and a central aperture 34 therein. The aperture 34 is defined by an edge which is provided with an inwardly extending protuberance 36 which extends radially into the aperture 34 for a purpose described hereinafter.

The projecting means 26 includes a base 38 having an upstanding end wall 40, a front wall 42, a rear wall 44 and a partition wall 46 forming a receptacle or compartment for the projectiles 28 wherein the projectiles 28 may be disposed for easy access thereto.

Disposed on the base 38 outwardly of the partition end Wall 46 is a pair of bearing members 48 and 50 in the form of upstanding lugs which form a pivot mounting and receives a transverse pivot pin 52 therethrough. The pivot pin 52 is of circular cross section and of such a size to be frictionally retained in the apertured bearing lugs 48 and 50.

An elongated cylindrical projecting post 54 is provided with a spiral peripheral groove 56 throughout a major portion of its length and a flange 58v is disposed at the lower end of the spiral groove 56. Below the flange, the post 54 is provided with an enlarged portion 60 having a transverse aperture 62 therethrough for receiving the pivot pin 52. The pivot pin 52 is also of such a size to be frictionally received within the transverse bore or aperture 62 wherein the post 54 may be angularly adjusted as indicated in dotted line in Figure 2. Also, it will be noted that the protuberance 36 on the disk 30 projects into the spiral groove 56 so that the vertical movement of the projectile 28 on the post 54 will cause rotation of the projectile 28.

The bearing mounting members 48 and 50 are positioned adjacent the edge of the base 38 at the outer edge of the gameboard 14 and adjacent the inner edge of the base 38 is provided a pair of upstanding bearing lugs 64 and 66 receiving pivot pin 68 therethrough. Pivotally carried by the pin 68 is a flat plate 70 having a U-shaped recess 72 in its outer end forming furcations 74 and 76 which are disposed for straddling the post 54 and also for straddling and positioning over the flange 58. It will be noted that the enlarged portion 60 of the post 54 is provided with an enlarged flange 78 forming a stop for the furcations 74 and 76 for limiting the pivotal movement of the plate 70 towards the base 38 of the projector 26. A torsion spring 80 surrounds the pin 68 and normally urges the plate 70 upwardly to discharge a projectile 28 from the projector post 54. The furcation 76 is elongated and extends beyond the furcations 74 as designated by the numeral 82 forming a convenient handle for moving the plate 70 to a position downwardly against the upper surface of the enlarged flange 78.

Each of the furcations 74 and 76 is provided with an upstanding projection 84 for engaging the undersurface of the circular disk 30 wherein the disk 30 will be engaged with substantially point Contact so that the disk 30 may rotate as it is moved upwardly along the post 54 with very little frictional resistance caused by engagement between the disk 30 and the plate 70.

It will be noted that the U-shaped recess 72 forming the furcations 74 and 76 is of such a size to permit pivotal movement of the post 54 in relation to the plate 70 there- Patented Mar. 20, 1956 by varying the angle of inclination of the post 54 and varying the projectory of the projectiles 28.

It will be seen that an interesting game may be played with the apparatus of the present invention wherein the projectile means 26 may be moved and adjusted as desired wherein considerable skill may be developed in projecting projectiles 28 towards the targets 24 due to the pivotal adjustment of the post 54 as well as movement of the whole projectile 26 on the gameboard 14.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. A projector comprising a base providing at least one compartment, said one compartment having a pivot mounting disposed therein, a projector post pivotally carried by said pivot mounting, said post being formed with a spiral groove, and means for projecting projectiles from said projector post, said means including a flat bifurcated element pivotally carried by said pivot mounting, said post being pivotally movable to a preselected position in the bifurcation of said bifurcated element, and torsion spring means normally urging said bifurcated element to discharge a projectile from said post.

2. A projector comprising a base, a pivot mounting including a pair of bearing lugs, a projector post pivotally mounted between said lugs for angular adjustment, said post having a spiral groove, and means for projecting projectiles from said post, said means including a flat bifurcated plate pivotally supported from said base in spaced relation to the post, said post being pivotally movable to a preselected position in the bifurcation of said bifurcated plate, spring means normally urging said bifurcated plate to discharge a projectile from the post, a pair of protuberances on the upper surface of said bifurcated plate for engaging a projectile with substantially point contact.

3. A projector comprising a base, a pivot mounting including a pair of bearing lugs, a projector post pivotally mounted between said lugs for angular adjustment, said post having a spiral groove, and means for projecting projectiles from said post, said means including a fiat bifurcated plate pivotally supported from said base in spaced relation to the post, said post being pivotally movable to a preselected position in the bifurcation of said bifurcated plate, spring means normally urging said bifurcated plate to discharge a projectile from the post, a pair of protuberances on the upper surface of said bifurcated plate for engaging a projectile with-substantially point contact, an extension on one furcation of the bifurcated plate forming a handle therefor, and spaced flanges on said post forming a stop for the bifurcated portion of the bifurcated plate and a projectile respectively.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 301,875 Fisher July 15, 1884 368,307 Rhodes Aug. 16,, 1887 442,438 Horsrnan Dec. 9, 1890 465,162 Coe Dec. 15, 1891 983,147 Knowles Jan. 31, 1911 1,133,235 Paprian Mar. 23, 1915 1,403,214 \VeSlOW Jan. 10, 1922 1,479,460 Draper Jan. 1, 1924 1,489,550 Shaffer Apr. 8, 1924 1,548,291 Van Arsdale Aug. 4, 1925 1,788,336 Schneider Jan. 6, 1931 1,935,370 Nekuda Nov. 14, 1933 2,267,567 Johnson Dec. 23, 1941 2,421,220 Robinson May 27, 1947 FOREIGN PATENTS 16,216 Great Britain 1891 

